Sportcoat

A sportcoat, also called a sport(s) coat, sport(s) jacket, also mistakenly called a blazer, is a tailored coat for men. It is of the same cut as a suit coat, but is designed to be worn on its own and not as part of a suit. Styles therefore may be less restrictive. Compared to suit jackets, sturdier fabrics are used, such as woollen tweed. Originally sportcoats were worn as casual attire for hunting and other outdoor sports. Today sportcoats are used as semi-formal or business formal wear and is the mainstream coat of choice in North America. A shooting jacket is a type of sportcoat with a leather patch on the front shoulder to prevent wear from the butt of a shotgun or rifle, frequently with matching leather patches on the elbow. A hacking jacket is a wool sportcoat for informal horseback riding, often of tweed and traditionally with a single vent. A blazer is similar to a sportcoat, but differs in having a nautical origin.